"The Mobile County Public School System just doesn't have the capacity to manage the stadium successfully," Superintendent Martha Peek

Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. (file photo)

MOBILE, Alabama – City Council President Reggie Copeland
said the "attitude" of the Ladd-Peebles Stadium board of directors affected the
Mobile County Public School System's decision to shy away from a plan that
would have them operating the stadium.

But Allen Chapman, president of the Ladd Stadium Board, said
he can't see how the group's attitude imploded any potential deal to transfer
the financial and operation matters of Ladd-Peebles Stadium from the city to
the school system.

"I don't see how the attitude of the Ladd Stadium Board
would have an impact on a business decision of the (school system) on whether
they would take over the management of Ladd Stadium," Chapman said today. "Based
on Mr. Copeland's proposal to us in June, our board would have been dissolved
and the matter really was between the city of Mobile, (the school system), and
the major tenants of the stadium."

He added, "The Ladd Stadium Board did not have a vote in
this matter."

The School Board also never publicly voted on the proposal.

According to Marketing and Education Partnerships
Supervisor Rena Philips, a couple board members and Superintendent
Martha Peek met several weeks ago with city officials that included Copeland
and City Attorney Larry Wettermark. Board members requested financial figures,
which the city later provided, and all five board members reviewed them, Philips
said.

Peek said that the school system only would have taken over
the stadium if the board felt it would have benefitted the school and the city,
which they concluded that it did not, Philips said.

"The Mobile County Public School System just doesn't have
the capacity to manage the stadium successfully," Peek said in a statement.

Copeland also criticized the stadium's current operators,
The Mishkin Group, for not reducing enough costs to keep the stadium from
requiring a performance contract subsidy.

He also said that proposals have been made to the city to
increase The Mishkin Group's pay as well as extra pay for Vic Knight, the
stadium's manager. Copeland said the city's administration told them that it's "premature"
to ask for extra money in the upcoming fiscal year 2014 budget.

Copeland also said he's been "extremely disappointed" that other events have
not been attracted to a stadium that he feels is "in the best shape" it's been
in for some time. He touted the stadium's condition, which is bolstered with a
city-approved $311,168 addition of new field turf.

The stadium is the annual home for the Senior Bowl,
University of South Alabama football, and the GoDaddy.com Bowl.

Mobile City Council President Reggie Copeland (file photo)

"I'm concerned that the group managing it now, The Mishkin Group,
said two years ago that (after managing the facility for two years that they
would not) come back in the second year asking for any money," Copeland said. "Now
they want a raise."

Chapman said the board is currently negotiating with two
groups which have never utilized the stadium before. He said the negotiations
are for a large blues festival and for a battle of the bands competition. Others
are also showing interest, he said.

Chapman also said that since the Mishkin Group was hired in
2011, there has been a savings. He said the city's annual performance contract
has since been reduced, and that there have been a "couple of hundred thousand
dollar" cost cuts since.

The city-owned stadium is subsidized with $377,816 in local tax money for
its continued operations. That figure is down from 2012, when the city spent
$419,796 to support the structure.

"A slight increase to our management group is a reward for a job well done,
creates stability that was much needed and is no additional cost to the city of
Mobile," Chapman said.

Copeland said his proposal would have saved a large amount of money for
taxpayers, and he pushed for the school system to consider managing the
facility and utilizing it for a variety of high school-related activities such
as lacrosse, soccer, archery, cheerleading camps, battle of the band events,
football camps, art shows, among other things.

Christopher, according
to an independent analysis, took more than $105,000 in 2009, although his
board-approved salary was $65,000. His assistant and bookkeeper, Cynthia
Towner, had an approved salary of $39,000, but billed for more than $69,000 in
2009.